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Credit & Copyright: Rogelio
Bernal Andreo
Explanation:
Familiar stars in Orion and constellations across the sky now have official names.
Over the past year, the
International Astronomical Union, the
only
body officially tasked with naming stars,
approved names already
in common use for
227 of the brightest stars,
including the most famous stars on the sky
Sirius,
Polaris, and
Betelgeuse.
Pictured, the
constellation of Orion is shown with several of these
now-official star names superposed.
Spanning about 30 degrees,
this breath-taking vista
stretches across the well-known constellation from
head to toe (left to right) and beyond.
The common names for all three stars in Orion's belt
are also now official.
At 1,500 light years away, the Great
Orion
Nebula is the closest large star forming region, here visible
just right and below center.
Also visible are famous nebulae including the
Horsehead Nebula and the
Witch Head Nebula.
Of course, the Orion Nebula and bright stars are
easy to see with the
unaided eye, but dust clouds and emission from the extensive interstellar
gas in this nebula-rich complex,
are too faint and much harder to record.
In the
featured mosaic of broadband telescopic images, additional image
data acquired with a narrow
hydrogen alpha filter was used to
bring out the pervasive tendrils of energized
atomic hydrogen gas like in the arc of the giant
Barnard's Loop.
Open Science:
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Orion
Publications with words: Orion
See also: